2024 Airlines Baggage Policy: What Travelers Need to Know

With travelers starting to hit the skies for 2024, Baggage Policies of Airlines have never been so important. Because each airline offers its own unique set of rules and fees regarding both carry-on and checked baggage, knowing your way around them will keep you far away from unexpected charges and make the travel experience so much smoother. Find below some of the most current baggage policies for popular airlines such as Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Airlines.

Southwest Airlines Carry-on Baggage

Southwest Airlines has a very lenient attitude when it comes to baggage: Southwest Airlines Carry-on Baggage, allowing one carry-on and one personal item without any cost, making it a budget-friendly choice for travelers. Dimensions for the carry-on bag should be no larger than 10 x 16 x 24 inches while the personal item smaller than 18.5 x 8.5 x 13.5 inches. There are no charges for checked baggage at Southwest-highly attractive for the low-budget traveler. However, oversized or too heavy baggage requires additional charges, hence the importance of observing size restrictions.

JetBlue Airways Baggage Policy

JetBlue Airways Baggage Policy, which is friendly to all passengers by trying to suit different traveler needs. For instance, travelers can be allowed one free carry-on bag and one personal item, similar to the size allowance under discussion for Southwest Airlines. With JetBlue, they charge for checked baggage, but some of the prices depend on the fare type and route. Most of the time, the first checked bag will cost something; however, if you booked higher-end fare options, you may get a little bit more in terms of what bags you could take with you free. JetBlue is very upfront about these fees, even going as far as to put them on their website. By doing this, JetBlue makes it much easier for passengers to manage the budgeting associated with flying.

Delta Airlines Baggage Policy

Delta Airlines Baggage Policy has a very traditional philosophy. Basic fares enable passengers to have one carry-on and one personal item per person. A carry-on maximum dimensions are 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Checked baggage does have a flying fee with Delta. For the first bag, it would be about $30, and about $40 for the second bag. Depending on whether one is flying in a class above economy or flying out of the country, they may be waived from certain fees and given more baggage allowance. Delta's policy is well institutionalized; it gives the travelers an expectation of what to see. 

Conclusion

Understanding baggage policies will be your key to hassle-free travel in 2024. Southwest Airlines remains the only airline that still lets generous carry-on and checked baggage fly free, while JetBlue provides transparency in showing reasonable fees for checked bags. Delta Airlines keeps the more traditional baggage rules but offers options for premium passengers. Understanding such policies keeps you away from unexpected fees and makes you travel with much more confidence.